Saturday, March 29, 2008

Budget requests heard at meeting

Puerto Seguro director says facility will not receive state funding this year

Evelyn Cronce El Defensor Chieftain Reporter, ecronce@dchieftain.com

    The Socorro County Commission began hearing public funding requests at their meeting on Tuesday.

    Requests were made by Puerto Seguro, Literacy Volunteers of Socorro, Rio Abajo Community Library and the Rio Grande CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program. Commission Chairman Jay Santillanes said the county is in better shape financially than it has been since 2005, and might be better able to add some public funding requests into the 2008-2009 budget.

    Duane Baker, director of Puerto Seguro told commissioners that the homeless day care facility will not receive any state funding this year. That means the facility will have to depend on private donations, city funding and possibly county funding to stay open. He said the facility serves an average of 35 people per day. Baker will provide the commission with a written detailed request of the amount of funding the facility is requesting and a breakdown of how the money would be used.

    Berlinda Perez, the new director of the literacy volunteers program requested $3,000 from the commission. She said the money is needed for books for tutoring, books for the adult library, and expenses for the mobile unit that offers services to Alamo and Veguita. The organization's grant will run out in June. She said some of the money would be used for books, and arts and crafts materials for the summer program for children and their families. She said the money would also be used for training tutors and to keep the office open for the use of the tutors and students.

    Martha Carangelo, a librarian for the Rio Abajo Community Library, requested $1,600 to be used for telephone and internet services for the library, as well as propane gas support.

    Audrey Henry, executive director of Rio Grande CASA asked for funding for volunteer recruitment and training. She said the program currently has three volunteers working with 18 to 20 children in the 7th Judicial District in Torrance, Sierra, Socorro and Catron counties. She said the program is hoping to recruit three more volunteers. Expenses for the volunteers, including costs such as mileage, is approximately $1,200 per year per volunteer. Henry said she will also present a detailed written request to the commission.

    Santillanes said the commission will continue to hear public funding requests for the 2008-2009 fiscal year at the next two commission meeting, on April 8 and April 22.

    Under the topic of action items, the commission approved the 2008 annual certified county maintained mileage report prepared by the Socorro County Road Department.

    Leroy Anaya, county road superintendent, said the report must be submitted yearly to the New Mexico Department of Transportation. He told the commission this year's report shows 31 more miles of road than last year's report because County Road 175 was misread last year. Leroy Anaya said the DOT checks 30 percent of the county roads to make sure the county is actually maintaining them.

    Commissioner Phillip Anaya asked whether increased mileage meant increased state funding. Leroy Anaya responded that the county could see an increase in state funding for roads next year, but that would depend on the state budget.

    The commission also approved a transfer of $1,605 from the county's general fund to the Midway Volunteer Fire Department Emergency Medical Services fund.

    Midway Fire Chief Orlando Pino asked the commission for the transfer to cover the expenses of two Midway Volunteer Fire Department's emergency medical technicians who must renew their certification or lose it. He explained the EMTs must renew their certification every two years. He said state Fire Marshal's funds cannot be used for EMS purposes. The EMS funds must be separate.

    In other business: